[[quoteright:184:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/230px-dokonjo_gaeru_1567.jpg]][[caption-width-right:184:A boy, his frog, and lotsa other characters]]

'''''Dokonjō Gaeru''''' (ど根性ガエル lit. ''Gutsy Frog'') is a {{shonen}} manga and anime from TheSeventies, created by Yasumi Yoshizawa. The manga was serialized in ''Weekly Shonen Jump'' from 1970 to 1976, then had two TV series (in 1972-1974 and 1981-1982). It has reached cult status [[GermansLovedavidHasselhoff in Latin America]] and ''especially'' in UsefulNotes/{{Chile}}.

This is the story of a middle school boy named Hiroshi and Pyonkichi, a rather special talking frog. One day, Pyonkichi is jumping around and minding his own business, and then Hiroshi crashes on him. Somehow, Pyonkichi survives... as his soul sorta becomes an imprint on Hiroshi's shirt. Since Hiroshi is very poor and that's his only good shirt, he's forced to keep it as well as Pyonkichi, who becomes a sort-of member of his family and his best friend...

Yep, this is one really weird show.

!! ''Dokonjō Gaeru'' has the following tropes:

* AnimalMotifs: Aside of frogs, we have gorillas... for [[TheBigGuy the local bully]].** The said bully's sidekick is named Mogura, which is Japanese for "mole". As his name implies, [[TunnelKing he can dig underground]].* BellyButtonless: Being a frog, Pyonkichi naturally doesn't have one. This is pointed out a few times, even used as part of a lyrics in one of the ending songs.* BirdsOfAFeather: Both Pyonkichi and Hiroshi are HotBlooded {{Big Eater}}s who won't give up ever.* ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his talking shirt! ... Sorta.* [[spoiler: BreakHerHeartToSaveHer: At some point, Pyonkichi's frog girlfriend Pyonko appears. Pyonkichi treats her real badly, which greatly upsets Hiroshi; when he asks why would he do such a thing, Pyonkichi cries and explains that he doesn't want her to suffer due to his special situation so he'd rather have her hate him.]]* ChefOfIron: Umesaburo is a somewhat odd SupremeChef... and a rather badass martial artist.* CoolShades: Hiroshi is never seen without a pair of shades on his head.* DisappearedDad: Hiroshi's father is explicitely mentioned to be deceased, so he lives with his HouseWife mother.* ExpressiveShirt: Sorta, again. Because this "shirt" not only is expressive, but it talks and eats and...* ForeignRemake: Apparently a live-action American remake is currently in the works. And it stars one of the JonasBrothers. Seriously.* InSeriesNickname: Everyone calls Umesaburo "Ume''-san''."* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Gorilla-Imo frequently bullies Hiroshi, but he does have a soft-side, such as [[KindheartedCatLover his love of cats.]]** Hiroshi himself, as said eloquently by his mother more than once.* NoNameGiven: The sushi parlor owner/Umesaburo's boss, Hiroshi's mother.* TheOjou: Kyouko Yoshizawa is middle to high class.* OlderThanTheyLook: Goro looks like a grade schooler. [[spoiler:So does his future girlfriend, Misako.]]* PerpetualPoverty: Almost everyone in the series, starting with Hiroshi. The series itself is located in what seems to be the poorest part of the middle-class district of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerima,_Tokyo Nerima]], and the popular [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakujii_Park Shakujii Park]] appears more than once.* PluckyGirl: Kyouko is this, too.* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Yoshiko-sensei is pursued by Minami (hinted to be from a rich family) and Umesaburo (Hiroshi's BigBrotherMentor who works as a sushi chef). [[ObliviousToLove She barely seems to notice their interest in her.]] Averted in the second anime series; Umesaburo's character is unchanged, but Minami, despite still being a teacher, is presented as living in a tiny and squalid apartment, where he has trouble making the rent, and having to subsist on instant ramen.* RunningGag: Mr. Machida will reference his 25 years' teaching experience in nearly every episode, usually with something along the lines of, "In my 25 years as a teacher, I have/have never..."* SailorFuku. Kyoko's IconicOutfit, despite her and the younger cast members being just elementary students. * SliceOfLife* SupremeChef: Umesaburo, justified as he ''works'' as a chef in the local sushi bar.* TrainingFromHell: Parodied when Hiroshi subjects Pyonkichi to this, hitting him with a baseball bat among other things... to withstand being inside Hiroshi's mom's new washing machine.* {{Tsundere}}: Kyouko is a Type B.** Also Yoshiko Yamanaka.* WorkOffTheDebt: Happened with Hiroshi at a ramen restaurant. He sent Pyonkichi to get the money, but it took so long for him to return (he lost the money and had to earn it back by helping other people for reward money), that by the time he came back Hiroshi washed every dish at the restaurant, making his hands sore. They don't take this lying down, however: they give the store owner the money, then proceed to take the clean bowls outside and dirty them again with mud water, much to the cook's dismay.* YamatoNadeshiko: Hiroshi's mother.